I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
by miraleeann
Summary: A one shot played off of The Way It Could Have Been.


**Author's Note: Just an idea that came to me after reading an interview with JK. I suppose it is a play off of The Way It Could Have Been. I hope you all enjoy it :)**

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><p>James Potter was lying on his bed, his eyes fixed on a Quidditch poster that was hanging on his wall. It had been there for as long as he could remember. Come to think of it, he actually wasn't quite sure if he hung it himself or if his parents hung it before he was even old enough to have a memory of it.<p>

Below him he could hear his younger sister playing in the sitting room. He could smell the scents of the supper his mum was cooking drifting up the stairs and he was sure his younger brother was outside playing in the yard.

He was positive of this fact only because he himself had been outside with Albus for the duration of the afternoon…that was until his mother had called him inside.

It was evident to him from the moment he heard his mum's voice that he was in some sort of trouble. His mother always wore her feelings on her sleeve and never made it a secret to any of her children when she was displeased with them.

And James knew the moment he heard his full name yelled out the back door that he was indeed in for it.

Her level of displeasure, however, surprised him. Normally when he or one of his siblings misbehaved his mum would deal with it on the spot, rarely did his father ever get involved. So rarely in fact, that when his mum sent him to his room, "_to wait for your father_", even Lily wore a shocked expression. She didn't look nearly as shocked as James had though. Of course he had known that what he did was wrong but he certainly didn't think it would have earned him such a sentence.

"You heard me James," Ginny had scolded her oldest son; "Straight upstairs and I'll send your father up when he arrives home."

James was very close to arguing with his mother or rather pleading with her to reconsider but he knew that look in her eyes and he knew far better than to push her when she got that look.

He climbed the stairs slowly, as if he were just sentenced to life in Azkaban and once in his room, fell onto his bed, his stomach swimming with anticipation.

His father was not mean nor was he unfair. He was actually the exact opposite. He rarely punished his children. In fact, the last time he had punished James had been almost exactly two years prior. Normally he left that sort of thing up to his mum. However, if his mum decided his dad should do the punishing then the spanking was as well as set in stone.

James' eyes drifted towards the clock on his bedroom wall. Any moment now his father would apparate just outside the back door. He'd walk in and kiss his mum hello. He'd swing Lil up into the air and he's ruffle Albus' hair. He'd ask what he missed all day and then he'd hear the whole horrible ordeal. James sighed feeling very sorry for himself.

"Daddy!" He heard Lily shriek from below.

The moments passed much too slowly and finally after what felt like hours, James heard his father climbing the stairs.

Quickly, James closed his eyes. Since he was a young child he had always tried to pretend to be asleep when he was waiting to be punished. It never worked but he always hoped it would. After all, if his parents really believed he was asleep, they certainly wouldn't wake him to punish him…would they?

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><p>"He did?" Harry asked. He couldn't help the hint of shock in his voice. Of course if any of his children were going to do such a thing he knew it would be James but still he didn't expect to deal with something like this just yet. The boy was only eleven after all.<p>

Ginny nodded, "I found it in his trunk myself."

"Well Gin you can't just go through his personal things, he…" Harry stopped speaking as his wife abandoned the soup she was stirring and narrowed her eyes at him.

"He is eleven Harry, it is my given right as his mother to go through his things and irregardless I wasn't even going through his things, I was packing extra pajamas for him and found it by accident."

"So he's spent the afternoon in his room?" Harry asked. "I should go speak with him about it then?"

"Yes…speak with him and punish him as well," she nodded as she resumed her stirring.

"Gin," Harry spoke softly.

She shook her head firmly, already sensing exactly where her husband was going. She knew Harry hated to punish their children and she was alright with dealing with them the majority of the time. However, she couldn't…she wouldn't be the bad guy all the time and she firmly believed that certain crimes…especially those committed by her sons…earned punishment from their father.

"Harry no. You of all people should know how much trouble he could have gotten into with that. He hasn't even started at Hogwarts yet we simply can't allow him to get away with this…we just can't."

"He hasn't gotten away with it he's in his room is he not? And he won't be taking it along with him." Harry replied though he already knew his wife had won…she always did after all.

Ginny fixed her husband with a look.

Harry sighed before he nodded. "Alright…I'll take care of it."

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><p>Harry paused outside of his eldest son's room for a moment before he lifted his hand and knocked once. He wasn't sure why he bothered, James wouldn't answer…he never did.<p>

A moment later Harry pushed the bedroom door open to find his son as he expected to find him, sprawled out on his bed, his eyes closed.

Harry noted that unlike two years ago when he last had to punish the boy, James eyes were no longer scrunched tightly shut making it more than obvious that he was putting on a show, but were gently closed making his act much more believable. Honestly, if Harry didn't know his son so well he probably would have actually thought the child was asleep.

Without speaking Harry crossed the room and took a hold of his son's desk chair, swinging it out so that it faced the bed. He deposited himself into it as he thought of his godfather. He often thought of Sirius as he fathered his children. Funny if Sirius was there now he'd be telling Harry how unfair it would be to punish James but then that was the role his godfather had taken…much like going from parent to grandparent, he was now firmly against punishing children in any way, specifically Harry's children.

Harry swallowed a chuckle as this thought went through his mind. 'He would turn anti-punishment,' Harry thought to himself, 'Just about ten years too late.'

Harry stared at his son, watching his chest rise and fall with deep breaths.

"I know you aren't sleep," he spoke struggling to maintain a stern voice.

Slowly James' eyes opened and Harry instantly noted that they were a sea of guilt.

"Do we care to explain what exactly happened today?" Harry asked. Once again he was concentrating on sounding stern. He had heard the story from Ginny only moments earlier but he always made sure to give his children the chance to explain and if they needed to do so the chance to talk as much as they wanted, a tactic he had borrowed from his godfather.

"I didn't mean it dad" James said softly.

"Oh you certainly did," Harry retorted. "Perhaps you didn't mean to get caught, but you didn't accidentally take that map from my desk James Sirius."

At the use of both of his names, James blushed deeply and then opened his mouth once more. "I just thought it would be cool to have. You and Uncle Ron always say it's so cool so I thought if I just took it to school maybe I could use it a little."

"Have you any idea how much trouble that map got us into to?" Harry asked his son.

James shrugged softly. Harry's children never believed that he had gotten into any trouble as a child. How could they after all when their Great Uncle Sirius was basically just an overgrown child himself. Harry had tried time and time again to tell his children that Sirius would have never allowed him to get away with half of what they did but they never saw any truth in it.

Still, Harry had to admit to himself that for all the trouble the map had caused over the years, Sirius never took it away from him nor did he punish him for being in possession of the map.

Harry sighed as he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. "You haven't even started at Hogwarts yet and I certainly don't want you to start your first year already getting into trouble. And aside from that you took it from **my** desk…you stole it from me."

James quickly sat up and shook his head fiercely. "No I was just borrowing it."

"Borrowing without asking is considered stealing and you are very well aware of that fact James."

"I'm sorry daddy," James spoke the words in a soft voice. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

_Daddy. _

Harry almost wondered if James knew exactly what he was doing by calling him that. If the child was aware how much more difficult he just made everything by pulling out the name he hadn't used in over a year.

"Come here," Harry kept his voice firm. It wasn't that he set out to scare his children but he knew from his own personal experience that a stern voice could go a long way and a bit of healthy fear was normal when it came to getting into trouble with your parents.

James, showing his Gryffindor bravery a full twenty four hours before he'd even be sorted, stood in front of his father, the tears already hanging in the corner's of his eyes.

Harry looked deep into his son's green eyes and then cleared his throat before speaking the words his godfather had spoken many years previous.

"Stealing is absolutely wrong and the worst crime you can commit. It is the root of all evil James. If you lie to someone you are stealing their right to the truth. If you were to cheat on a test, you would be stealing the right to fairness."

"I am really sorry dad," James spoke. The tears were threatening to fall and Harry had to force himself to ignore them and continue his lecture.

"I think you are more than aware of what your punishment should be."

James didn't speak but his face blushing to the very tips of his ears answered Harry all the same.

"Not only did you steal but you had every intention of taking that map to Hogwarts with you…I should tan your bum until you need a cushioning charm to make it through dinner."

His face still blushing, James cringed slightly at the threat.

"However," Harry continued, "I had that map in my possession for the majority of my time at Hogwarts and I'd feel like quite the hypocrite for punishing you for trying to take the map."

"Really?" James asked in a quiet voice. The tears were still lingering in the corner of his eyes but it was obvious that he had relaxed a considerable amount.

"You are going to apologize to your mother for what you did and you will be going to bed an hour early tonight," Harry spoke, "You also will not be taking the map to Hogwarts with you…understood?"

"Yes Sir," James whispered.

Harry was torn between cringing at his son's words and mentally applauding himself. He absolutely hated when any of his children called him Sir and still, at least it told him he was handling this correctly.

"And if I ever…**ever **hear of you stealing again I will take you over my knee every night for a week…is that understood?"

James nodded quickly, his face blushing furiously at the threat.

"Alright then," Harry nodded, allowing his voice to fall back into its normal relaxed tone.

Harry pulled himself up off of the desk chair and walked halfway across the room before turning and facing his son once more.

"I almost forgot," he smiled. Taking his wand out of his back pocket, Harry waved it across his son's face causing his eyes to become quite red and puffy.

James looked at himself in the mirror above his dresser before giving his father a confused look. "What…why…dad?"

"If your mum asks you received quite the walloping," Harry smiled giving his son a wink.

The End.


End file.
